"Oooo this spot looks familiar, Tom. I think this is the spot where Dawson proclaimed his love to Joey. Quick, pretend to be Dawson and use big words and look all mopey and junk," I instructed as we walked down the streets of Wilmington, North Carolina where the show Dawson's Creek was filmed.
Tom, my lovely husband Tom who does not like imagining things (I always say he's Marilla in Anne of Green Gables ) frowned and said, "No."
"Remind me to marry someone with an imagination next time," I grumbled.
"Remind me to marry someone sane the next time," Tom retorted.
I am perfectly sane. I've just always had a huge imagination. It's the writer in me, what can I say? I'm supposed to be quirky.
We were walking along side the riverfront of the 4th of July. It was packed. People were everywhere. The lines from the food vendors curled to the point where I could no longer see the end. I so wanted a funnel cake but not if I'd have to stand for hours on end to get it.
I have to say, there were some people with questionable attire there. Like this one chick strolled past in the tiniest probably size 0 shorts when she was a size 10. And another kid tried to steal my purse because she "like-it-ed how it was pink." That's great kid but it's MINE. There were some intoxicated twenty somethings walking (stumbling) around saying something about cheese and anus holes. I know. Try explaining that one to your children.
I was surprised that Tom was even out in the crowd. Crowds usually make Tom nervous. He says it's the cop in him and he believes that someone is going to whip out a weapon at any moment and that he'll have to tackle them to the ground like they do in Cops.
But no, Tom came out with me, and I even got him to go out again while we left the kids with their Grandma. He even held my hand which is something he rarely does because "we're married and what's the point?" I actually pulled my hand away the first time because I'm not used to an adult male grabbing it. Children, yes. Adults, no. He went, "Don't you want to hold hands?" and I went, "Oh?" stupidly.
"You know, I won't be here much longer," Tom reminded me and my heart dropped, as it always does when he talks about leaving. (For those who don't know, he's going to Korea in a year. He only has a couple of weeks left before he goes. I can't go because it's a remote base so I'm staying behind.)
"I know," I answered as we walked past a woman holding one of those mini dogs to her chest. She was probably rich and owned one of those gigantic boats that we had seen floating along the river.
Tom volunteered to get me a funnel cake and brave the long and winding line. But it was hot and the air smelled like sugar mixed with body odor so I wasn't in the mood to wait. We kept walking along the streets and I kept thinking that I knew the spot from Dawson's Creek even though it probably had nothing to do with the show.
"Say Joey!" I told Tom as he stood in front of a building that I swore Pacey and Joey shared a special moment at.
"No," Tom said, not even cracking a smile. Getting him to smile is like getting a politician to tell the truth.
I took the picture anyway. We walked a little further and then turned around.
"I'll miss you," I said, but he didn't hear me because of all the people. And because he's tall and I'm not so I basically said the words into his shoulder.
"I'll miss you," I tried again, this time on my tip toes. "Thanks for coming out with me. I know you don't like crowds."
Tom tossed an arm around my shoulders. "Anything for my girl," he said and winked down at me.
Tomorrow we're headed to the beach.
"And you'll pretend to be a guy in a Nicholas Sparks novel?" I asked Tom sweetly. Nicholas Sparks sets most of his books in North Carolina, you see. Actually, he sets a lot of them in a place called New Bern, which is by where we are.
"No," Tom said.
"Whatever Noah," I joked. "Maybe it'll rain so I can leap into your arms and we can make out!"
"No."
Party pooper. Oh well. At least he took me out in the crowd.
That's a big thing for him, believe me.
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